Road surface coating breaker having a vibrated roller



Feb. 24, 1959 A. AKE v. BJGRKMAN ET AL 2,874,943

ROAD SURFACE COATING BREAKER HAVING A VIBRATED ROLLER Filed Nov. 50, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 24, 1959 A. AKE v. BJORKMAN ET AL 7 ROAD SURFACE COATING BREAKER HAVING A VIBRATED ROLLER Filed N v. 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United Sta Patent ill ROAD SURFACE COATING BREAKER HAVING A VIBRATEDROLLER Anders Ake Vilhelm Bjiirkman, Karl Evert Lindblad, and Arne Planfeldt, Stockholm, Sweden, assignors to Vibro-Plus Corp., Woodside, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware I Application November 30, 1955, Serial No. 550,116

Claims priority, application Sweden December 10, 1954 7 Claims. 01. 262-49 This invention relates to an apparatus or a machine for loosening and breaking up hard surface coatings on streets, roads, runways and the like, especially coatings ofice or tightly packed snow, but also asphalt and similar kinds of coatings.

As is well known, snow may become so tightly packed on streets and roads carrying heavy trafflc that it forms a more or less hard coating which maybe regarded as a film or a layer of ice which is very difficult to remove. Usually, manually operative crowbars must beemployed for the purpose, but manual work of this type is of course very expensive and in view ofthe labour shortage the removal of the ice coating is frequently delayed, particularly in large communities. 1

. The present invention has for its object to provide amechanical apparatus by means of which such hard ice and snow coatings can. be effectively loosened and broken up so that the ice and snow can then be easily removed by ordinary scrapers and scavenging machines. The apparatus accordingto the invention comprises as main active implement a vibratory roller or drum having a number of radially directed flanges or knives or rows of spikes, distributed over its outer surface, the outwardly directed edges orpoints of said members being adapted to penetrate and pierce into and break up the coating, when the roller or drum is advanced over the coated surface. In said apparatus, it hasbeen found particularly advantageous to place or locate the vibration generator centrally within the roller or drum, and to provide for positive rotation of the roller, even if the roller is to be hauled by a tractor vehicle. 7

In order to make the invention more readily understood two forms of construction of the vibratory breaker or drum and some preferred machines incorporating such a roller or drum will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. From this detailed description other objects and features of the invention will become apparent.

In the drawings: p

Fig. 1 shows the roller or drum in side-view and partly in section, while u Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the roller in Fig. 1. taken along the view line 2--2 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 3 shows another formof the roller in cross-section; Fig. 4 shows a machine construction equipped .with roller of the type shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 3; a

,Fig. 5 'shows another embodiment of the machine construction equipped with a roller; Fig. 6 shows a tractor equipped with an aggregate in; cluding a vibratory breaking rollen and 2,874,948 Patented eb. 24,1959

ice

. i a i Fig. 7 shows a hand-driven machine with a roller f cording to Fig. 1 or 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2; the main part: of the surface coating breaker is a roller or drum, generally indiflange or knife members 4, the inner edges of which are spaced from the outer wall of the tube 2. The flange or knife members 4 between each pair of adjacent flanges.

3 are angularly displaced in relation to the corresponding flange or knife members between the adjacent pairs of annular flanges, as may be seen from the figures, and

both the outwardly directed edges of the flanges 3 and of the knife members 4 are suitably sharpened and toothed to facilitate their penetration into the coating, for example an ice layer. The central tube 2 is at its ends secured to suitable end members 5 which facilitate the mounting of the roller, and the tube 2 contains a vibration generating set including a shaft 26 carrying an eccentric weight 27 and journaled by bearings 28 on theend members 5 in the tube 2. The shaft 26 extends through support bearings 29 positioned on a frame 6. A pulley 30 on the end of the shaft 26 is rotated by a belt 31 driven by a pulley 32 on a motor 33. This arrangement permits,

desired manner-to. the motor 33, drives via a belt 35 a pulley 36 fastened to one end of the roller 1.. The shaft 26 also supports that end of the roller 1 by a bearing 37.

and extends to further support bearings 38 on the frame 6. In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 3, a number of spikes arranged on the outside of the tube 2 have been substituted for the flange or knife members in Figs. 1. and 2. The spikes project radially from the tube 2 and may be of different kinds. ficient strength, however, it is preferred to use tapering spikes having a. somewhat greater cross-section at their secured inner ends than at their points.

Referring to the machine according to Fig. 4; the vibratory roller 1 is mounted in a frame 6, the front end of which is pivotally suspended at 7 near the front end of a frame 8 of a wheeled vehicle which may be a road scraper. The rear end of the frame 6 is linked by a hydraulic jack 9 to the vehicle frame 8 at a point located further back. Above the roller 1 there is arranged a driving unit. 10 including the motor 33 supported by the frame 6. The primary purpose of this power source 10 is to drive the vibration generator enclosed in the roller but it is also employedin a manner known from vibrating road rollers to impart a rotary movement to the roller 1.

The lifting jack 9, by pivoting the frame 6, permitsthe roller 1 to be raised fromthe roadway or to be pressed down' against the latter when the breaking up of vthe coating is to take place. 4

In Fig. 5 the vehicle is the same as in Fig. 4 but the roller 1 is mounted in a frame 11 which is pivotally sup portedto swing vertically about an axis 12which coincides with the vehicles rear-wheel axle, Theframe 11 isprovided with arms 13 projecting upwards from the fulcrum 12, and the upper ends of said arms are connected by one or more jacks 14 to the vehicle frame 8. As in theprevious case, the vibration generator of the roller To provide for Sllf.

1 is driven'by' a separate power unit arranged above the roller 1 on the frame 11, and "this power unit may,

' By means of the lifting jackl4, the roller 1 can be raised from the groundor roadway, or be pressed down against the latter, with the necessary power.

Itha-s frequently been found desirable to impart a rotary movement to the roller 1 corresponding to a-periphe'ra'l speed-which diflers' from 'the speed at "which the roller is moved forward over the roadway, that is to say, thespeed of'the roller's tractive vehicle. In this way a ys'kiddingetfect is produced "so that "the pieces of thecoating broken out, for example ice, can be more efiectively detached from the underlying support, but incertainother cases the requirements are fully met whenthe" roller 1 is rolled "forward'over the coated roadway, since the penetration; of the 'knives or spikes into the coatingalready in itself exercises a loosening action. The arrangement described above with reference to Figs. 4 and '5 of course possesses the advantage that the roller 1 ea'nbe pressed with considerable force against the coated-roadway, since a part of the vehicles-weightcan be transmitted to the roller 'l'by means of the jacks. In other cases this isunnecessary,'which naturally simplifies the machine construction.

As an example of this, a tractor-driven breaker aggregate is illustrated'in 'Fig. 6. This apparatus is'more' orless designed as a trailer and consists of a frame 17 in which the roller 1 andthe'driving' unit 10 are mounted. "The 'front'end of the frame 17is connected to the tow-hook '(notshown) of the tractor 18 in any known manner, and at therear endof-the frame 17 there is" provided a transverse shaft 19'-carrying a number of hell crank levers 20 'having'rearwardly directed arms provided with supporting wheels 21. The upwardly directed arms of the 'bell cranklevers are connected by a lifting jack 22 to a support 23 at the front part of the frame. In operation, whenan ice'coating is to be broken up, for example, the supporting wheels 21 are raised from the ground 'so" that substantially the entire weight of the'aggregate will rest on the roller 1, but when necessary the "supporting wheels 1 can be pressed down against-the ground by extending thelifting jacks 22 so' that they take over the'weight of the aggregate'from the roller 1 while at the same-time'the-roller 1 is raised into an i'noperative position. As-in the preceding case, the drivingunit 10'may be arrangedto drivethevibration generator of the roller 1 only, or at the-same time impart a-rotary movement to the roller 1.

Incases where a tractor or other tractive vehicle cannot-be-employed for advancing the roller 1, the road machine may be constructed as shown in Fig. 7. Herethe roller -1 is mounted in a frame 24 which is similar to an ordinary hand roller frame and is provided with a handle '25 for guiding and'moving. it manually. Also in this case the'frame supportsa driving unitlt) which is primarily adapted to drive theTollers vibration generator'but'which can also be used'for imparting a rotary movement-to the roller, as indicated above, whereby the propelment of the breaker over the ice-coated'roadway is appreciably simplified. No appreciable skiddingeffect can be counted on inthis case, however. On the other hand, --it maybe advantageous to provide the driving unit with a gearbox or the like arrangement permitting a variation of the speed of the roller'which may, of course, also befound'advantageous in-the three-embodiments "describedhereinbefore.

The invention is not'limited to theforms of construction illustrated and described above, since in the light of the teachings included it'willbe obvious to those skilled in the art that the ap- 4 in the preceding description,

to the actual clearing work. Furthermore, although described above especially in connection with the removal of ice and snow coatings, the machine according to the invention may also beemployed for breaking up other coatings, such as 'asphalt orthelike.

It will be readily understood that the vibrationgeneratorlincorporated'in the vibratory roller may be ofany suitableknown construction. Thus it may comprisesan unbalanced shaft extending through the roller and being connected to power drive 10 by any suitable transmission such as a V-belt; 'Instead thereof, it may comprise a rotatable driver forcing, When being rotated, a heavy ball or roller body around a circular race secured to the inside of the tube 2, so that the latter iscaused to shake vigorously. A combination of both these arrangements may also be=use'ful. Since such arrangements arepreviously known in the art of vibratory road rollers and vibratory soil compacting rollers, illustration thereof "is considered unnecessary. Also the manner in which the power unit may be coupled to the vibratory roller for impartinga .rotary'moment thereto is previously known pe'r'se from the above-mentioned field of art and does not form part of the invention and is, therefore, not shown in detail.

What we claim is:

1; A machineto loosen and break hard surface coatings on streets, roads and the like, comprising a roller, axially spaced annular flanges extending radially from the surface of the roller, circnmferentially spaced knife members-extending radiallyfrom the surface of the roller and interconnecting the annular flanges, the outer edges of the flanges and the knife members being equidistant from the roller surface and flush at their junctures, and a vibration generator disposed in the roller to impart vibratory movement theretoindependent of its rotation to provide a'plurality of chopping movements duringeach revolution of the roller to cause the annular flanges and' the knife members to penetrate'and break the hard surface coatings 2. A machine as defined inclaim 1, wherein the outeredges of the flanges and'knife members mounted on the structure carrying the roller, axially spaced annular flanges extending from the rollersurface, circumferentially spaced knife members extending radially from the surface of the roller and interconnecting the annular flangesflhe outer edges of .the .flanges and the knife members being equidistant from the roller surface and flush at their junctures,

at a peripheral speed-diiferent-from that causedbythe" advancementdfthe' roller over the road surfaceby the tractor means, whereby a 'skiddin g effct is produced-be 5 tween the roller and the road to detach and remove effectively the hard surface coatings.

6. A machine as defined in claim 5, wherein the outer edges of the flanges and knife members mounted on the roller are toothed.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Royer et a1 Apr. 25, 1939 Kersten Nov. 26, 1940 Rypkema May 18, 1943 Gettelman June 20, 1944 Lommen Aug. 5, 1952 Vig et al. July 28, 1953 Kerridge Mar. 9, 1954 Wood May 11, 1954 Hanson Aug. 2, 1955 

